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Lisa Rene De Cotret
Downtown Windsor New Outreach Programs
Posted July 5, 2011 @ 10:13AM
Downtown Windsor Street Outreach Program Has Begun
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association has announced the introduction of the Downtown Windsor Street Outreach Program (DWSOP), a pilot project and partnership with the Homeless Coalition of Windsor Essex County. The program was developed to respond to concerns from Downtown business owners regarding the proliferation of panhandling in the downtown core.
Staff from member agencies of the Homeless Coalition will participate in the pilot project and act as Outreach Workers, conducting regular patrols of the downtown core and regularly approaching individuals that appear to be homeless and/or who are panhandling. The Outreach Workers will provide information, resources and food vouchers to encourage individuals to seek assistance, and will conduct a brief survey with individuals on the street to gather non-identifying basic data on individuals panhandling in the city centre, such as age, gender, reason for panhandling etc. The Homeless Coalition intends to review the data and produce a report that will be shared with the DWBIA and our member agencies to determine the need for an ongoing strategy.
Business owners concerned about a panhandling issue should call 519-256-1831. This hotline will be answered by staff at Family Service Windsor-Essex, a member agency of the Homeless Coalition. The business owner will be asked a few questions to determine the business location and the nature of the issue, and an outreach worker will be dispatched to meet with the panhandler. The Outreach Worker will offer the individual who is panhandling a variety of services and supports.
The Downtown Windsor Street Outreach Program (DWSOP) phone line will be answered from 9am-8pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am-5pm on Fridays. An after-hours answering service is available.
Homeless Coalition
The Homeless Coalition is a network of community agencies committed to eradicating homelessness in Windsor Essex County. The member agencies of the Coalition work with individuals who are homeless and/or who are at risk of homelessness.
by Lisa Rene-De-Cotret Biz X Magazine
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